Ph.D., University of Connecticut, 2002 Assistant Professor Member, Clinical Psychology and NBN Programs drobins@gsu.edu Office: 404-413-6293 754 Urban Life Lab: 404-413-6472 Lab email: DevNeuro@gsu.edu M-CHAT website

Although I have broad training as a clinical neuropsychologist, my research interests lie primarily in the field of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Autism and other pervasive developmental disorders are severe disorders of development affecting social relatedness, communication, play, and adaptive functioning.

I have two ongoing lines of research. One involves improving the early detection of ASD. My doctoral dissertation involved the adaptation of a British instrument for the early detection of autism (the Checklist for Autism in Toddlers or CHAT; Baron-Cohen, Allen, & Gillberg, 1992). We validated the M-CHAT (Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers; Robins, Fein, & Barton, 1999) on a sample of approximately 1200 children aged 16-30 months, and determined through discriminant function analysis a subset of six items (e.g., interest in peers, pointing, response to name) that best distinguish children with ASD from the remainder of the sample (Robins, Fein, Barton, & Green, 2001). Follow-up work has broadened to include thousands of children screened through pediatricians, family practice physicians, early intervention providers, and clinical cases in which an older sibling has already been diagnosed with an ASD. Ongoing grant support for this work is provided by NICHD and the Bureau of Maternal and Child Health. At GSU, I am conducting a cross-validation study of the M-CHAT. More than 40 primary care sites in metro-Atlanta distribute the M-CHAT to families attending toddler well-child visits. Parents of children who demonstrate risk for ASD complete a follow-up interview, and families whose child continues to demonstrate risk are invited to attend a series of appointments, including a complete diagnostic evaluation. Please note that families only can enroll in the study through their child’s primary care provider; if you are a parent interested in having your child’s pediatrician participate, please contact the lab to request materials. If you are a pediatrician or other healthcare provider within 60 miles of downtown Atlanta, please contact the lab to learn how you can become involved in the M-CHAT study.

In addition to cross-validation of the M-CHAT, this large screening study is expanding autism screening to investigate: (a) multiple levels of screening; we are evaluating whether a brief observational measure helps separate true ASD cases from false positive cases; (b) comparison of autism-specific screening and broad developmental screening, using the Parents’ Evaluation of Development Status (Glascoe, 1999); and (c) in collaboration with Lauren B. Adamson, Ph.D. in the Developmental Psychology program, we are examining the emergence of joint attention and communication in toddlers with ASD and toddlers with other non-ASD developmental delays (funded by NICHD).

For more information on the M-CHAT, including instructions for use of the M-CHAT, downloads, scoring instructions, the follow-up interview, translations, and reprints, please visit my M-CHAT page.

The second line of research involves exploring the underlying neurobiology of emotion perception deficits in ASD using functional neuroimaging, psycholophysiological, and behavioral approaches. Individuals with ASD experience difficulty engaging in social interaction, and have specific deficits understanding emotions. Although emotion processing has been studied extensively in ASD, most research in the lab is very different from the social encounters people experience in the real world. This line of research attempts to elicit more realistic emotional processing by using dynamic movies instead of photographs. Participants view very brief movies consisting of professional actors delivering a single sentence, with emotional information present in the actors' tone of voice (prosody) and facial expression (see below for samples). Sentences are emotionally ambiguous; each can be sensibly delivered in all four emotional tones. Audio-visual movies were separated into audio and video tracks and remixed in order to create stimuli with mismatching emotional cues (e.g., a happy face accompanied by a fearful voice) and pilot tested on typical individuals in order to investigate perception of conflicting emotional information.

Thanks to Harder & Co. for stimulus development

Several studies are currently in progress using these movies to investigate emotion perception. One study, funded by Autism Speaks, uses functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine the brain mechanisms underlying the integration of emotional information from prosody (emotional tone of voice), and facial expression in both typically developing individuals and individuals with autism spectrum disorders. A second study, funded by the GSU Brains and Behavior Initiative (D. Robins and T. King, co-PIs), combines fMRI with psychophysiological techniques to better understand the biological mechanisms of emotion perception.

We are currently recruiting individuals with autism spectrum disorders and typically developing individuals between the ages of 5 and 50 for participation in studies of emotion perception. For more information, please contact my lab by email at DevNeuro@gsu.edu or call 404-413-6472.

Recent Grants

“Perception of Emotional Cues from Facial Expression and Affective Prosody using fMRI,” Autism Speaks, July 2005-June 2008; Diana L. Robins, Ph.D., Principal Investigator

“Neurophysiological mechanisms underlying emotion perception in autism spectrum disorders,” GSU Brains and Behavior Initiative, September 2005-June 2007; Diana L. Robins, Ph.D. & Tricia Z. King, Ph.D., Co-Principal Investigators

“The development of joint attention after infancy,” National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, August 2007-July 2008; Lauren B. Adamson, Ph.D., Principal Investigator

Representative Papers and Book Chapters

student co-authors are noted with an *

Allen, R., Decker, S. Robins, D.L., et al. (in press). Neuropsychology of autism and response to treatment models. Psychology in the Schools.

*Wiggins, L.D. & Robins, D.L. (in press). Excluding the ADI-R behavioral domain improves diagnostic agreement in toddlers. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Available Online First 9/19/07.

Kleinman, J.M., Robins, D.L., Ventola, P.E., Pandey, J., Boorstein, H.C., Esser, E.L., Wilson, L.B., Rosenthal, M.A., Sutera, S., Verbalis, A.D., Marshia, G., Barton, M. Hodgson, S., Green, J., Dumont-Mathieu, T., Volkmar, F., Chawarska, K., Klin, A., & Fein, D. (in press). The Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers: A follow-up study investigating the early detection of autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Available Online First 9/20/07.

Kleinman, J.M., Ventola, P.E., Pandey, J., Verbalis, A.D., Barton, M., Hodgson, S., Green, J., Dumont-Mathieu, T., Robins, D.L., & Fein, D. (in press). Diagnostic stability in very young children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Available Online First 10/9/07.

Kamio, Y., Robins, D., Kelley, E., Swainson, B., & Fein, D. (2007). Atypical lexical/semantic processing in high-functioning autism spectrum disorders without early language delay. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 37 (6), 1116-1122.

Ventola, P., Kleinman, J., Pandey, J., Wilson, L., Esser, E., Boorstein, H., Dumont-Mathieu, T., Marshia, G., Robins, D., Barton, M., Hodgson, S., Green, J., Volkmar, F., Chawarska, K., Babitz, T., & Fein, D. (2007). Differentiating between autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities in children who failed a screening instrument for ASD. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 37 (3), 425-436.

*Wiggins, L.D., Bakeman, R., Adamson, L.B., & Robins, D.L. (2007). The Utility of the Social Communication Questionnaire in Screening for Autism in Children Referred for Early Intervention. Focus on Autism and Developmental Disorders, 22 (1), 33-38.

Sutera, S., Pandey, J., Esser, E.L., Rosenthal, M.A., Wilson, L.B., Barton, M., Green, J., Hodgson, S., Robins, D.L., Dumont-Mathieu, T., & Fein, D. (2007) Predictors of optimal outcome in toddlers diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38 (1), 98-107.

Ventola, P., Kleinman, J., Pandey, P., Barton, M., Allen, S., Green, J., Robins, D., & Fein, D. (2006). Agreement among four diagnostic instruments for autism spectrum disorders in toddlers. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36 (7), 839-847.

Robins, D.L. & Dumont-Mathieu, T. (2006). The Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT): A review of current findings and future directions. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 27 (Supplement 2), S111-S119. Seignourel, P.J., Robins, D.L., Larson, M., Demery, J.A., Cole, M. & Perlstein, W.M. (2005). Cognitive control in closed head injury: Context maintenance dysfunction or prepotent response inhibition deficit? Neuropsychology, 19 (5), 578-590.

Schultz, R.T. & Robins, D.L. (2005). Neuroimaging findings in autism spectrum conditions. In F. Volkmar, A. Klin, & R. Paul (Eds), Handbook of autism and pervasive developmental disorders (3^rd Edition). New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc. pp.515-533.

Snyder, P.J., Nussbaum, P.D., & Robins, D.L. Eds. (2005). Clinical Neuropsychology: A Pocket Handbook for Assessment, Second Edition. Washington, D.C.: APA Books, Inc.

Green, L., Joy, S., Robins, D., Brooklier, K., Waterhouse, L., & Fein, D. (2003). Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders. In Neuropsychiatry, Second Edition. Eds. Randolph Schiffer, Stephen Rao, & Barry Fogel. Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins, 503-551.

Robins, D.L. (2004). entries for M-CHAT, amygdala, and face recognition. In J.T. Neisworth & P.S. Wolfe (Eds), The Autism Encyclopedia: 500+ Entries for Parents and Professionals. Baltimore, MD: Brookes Publishing Co.

Robins, D., Fein, D., Barton, M., Green, J. (2001). The Modified-Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT): An initial investigation in the early detection of autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 31 (2), 131-144.  

Fein, D., Robins, D., & Liss, M. (2001). Autism. In Behavioral Interventions for Young Children with Autism, Second Edition, Ed. C. Maurice, G. Green & S. Luce. Austin, TX: ProEd Press.

Barton, M. & Robins, D. (1999). Regulatory Disorders. In C. H. Zeanah (Editor) Handbook of Infant Mental Health, Second Edition, New York: Guilford Press.

Representative Conference Presentations

Please note: names in bold represent current or former students.

Wiggins, L.D., Robins, D.L., Bakeman, R., & Adamson, L. (2007). Sensory abnormalities as distinguishing symptoms of autism spectrum disorders. Poster presented at the Georgia Psychological Association, Atlanta, GA, May, 2007.

McManus, S.M., Banks, M.S., King, T.Z., & Robins, D.L. (2007). Emotion perception in adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. Poster presented at the Georgia Psychological Association, Atlanta, GA, May, 2007.

Cheng, L., Granderson, C., Zody, M., & Robins, D.L. (2007). Differences in emotion perception between African Americans and Caucasians using a multi-racial stimulus set. Poster presented at the Georgia Psychological Association, Atlanta, GA, May, 2007.

Farran, L.K., Wiggins, L.D., Oliver, K.B., & Robins, D.L. (2007). Does performance on the Early Social Communication Scale differentiate between toddler with ASD and toddlers without ASD? Poster presented at the International Meeting for Autism Research, Seattle, WA, May, 2007.

Mumaw, M.A., King, T.Z., & Robins, D.L. (2007). Disrupted facial mimicry in autism: Preliminary physiological data during dynamic emotion perception. Poster presented at the International Meeting for Autism Research, Seattle, WA, May, 2007.

Robins, D.L. & Wiggins, L.D. (2007). Excluding the ADI-R behavioral domain improves diagnostic agreement with observation-based methods in toddler evaluations. Poster presented at the International Meeting for Autism Research, Seattle, WA, May, 2007.

Wiggins, L.D. & Robins, D.L. (2007). Multi-level screening efforts with the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers and the Screening Tool for Autism in Two-Year-Olds. Poster presented at the International Meeting for Autism Research, Seattle, WA, May, 2007.

Farran, L.K., McManus, S.M., & Robins, D.L. (2007). Screening for autism spectrum disorders: A collaboration between neuropsychologists and primary care providers. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the International Neuropsychological Society, Portland, OR, February 2007.

Barton, J., Santorelli, N., & Robins, D.L. (2007). Sex differences in emotion perception utilizing dynamic stimuli. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the International Neuropsychological Society, Portland, OR, February 2007.

Barton, J., Santorelli, N., & Robins, D.L. (2006). Individual differences in emotion perception: the face, the voice, and sex. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the International Society for Research on Emotion, Atlanta, Georgia, August, 2006.

Angeli, N.C., Farran, L.K., & Robins, D.L. (2006). Socioeconomic status and the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT): Preliminary investigation. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the International Meeting for Autism Research, Montreal, Quebec, June 2006.

Farran, L.K., Oliver, K.B., Angeli, N.C., & Robins, D.L. (2006). Early social communication skills and autistic symptomatology in toddlers with and without autism spectrum disorders. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the International Meeting for Autism Research, Montreal, Quebec, June 2006.

Kamio, Y., Robins, D., Inada, N., Kelly, E., Swainson, B., & Fein, D. (2006). Atypical lexical processing in high functioning autism spectrum disorder without speech delay. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the International Meeting for Autism Research, Montreal, Quebec, June 2006.

Ventola, P., Kleinman, J., Pandey, J., Wilson, L., Esser, E., Boorstein, H., Sutera, S., Verbalis, A., Rosenthal, M., Dumont-Mathieu, T., Marshia, G., Barton, M., Hodgson, S., Green, J., Robins, D., Volkmar, F., Chawarska, K., Babitz, T., & Fein, D. (2006). Differentiating between autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities in children who failed a screening instrument for ASD. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the International Meeting for Autism Research, Montreal, Quebec, June 2006.

Barton, J., Santorelli, N., & Robins, D. (2006). Sex matters: Individual differences in emotion perception. Poster presented at the Georgia Psychological Association, Atlanta, Georgia, April 2006.

Santorelli, N.T., Robins, D. L., & McClure, E.B. (2006). Perception of emotion from facial expression and affective prosody. Poster presented at the Southeastern Psychological Association Annual Meeting, March 2006.

Santorelli, N.T. & Robins, D.L. (2006). Perception of emotional cues from facial expression and affective prosody. Poster presented at the International Neuropsychological Society, February, 2006, Boston, MA.

Students Interested in Applying for a Research Practicum

My lab interviews for research practicum positions every semester. This is a competitive process, since many students are interested in research involving autism spectrum disorders. Please note that I ask for a minimum of a 2-semester commitment when you are accepted to the practicum. This practicum involves direct contact with families whose children have, or are at risk for, developmental disabilities including autism spectrum disorders. All practicum students are expected to demonstrate responsibility, initiative, and professional behavior at ALL TIMES. Please take the application and the interview process seriously.

Research Assistant Application Form

Please return your completed the application, along with your CV or resume, to DevNeuro@gsu.edu or my 11^th floor Urban Life mailbox. One of the postbac research assistants will contact you to set up an interview.